If you have time to research just one haunted location in Boston, start at the site of the old Cocoanut Grove fire.
On 28 November 1942, Boston’s fashionable Cocoanut Grove nightclub (and speakeasy) was the site of one of the deadliest nightclub fires in the United States. Nearly 500 people died in the fire.
Today, a plaque at 17 Piedmont Street–and a small, paved parking lot on a street corner–are all that remain to suggest the tragedy. It was the second-worst single-building fire in American history.
Even in broad daylight, EMF levels surge irregularly at the site. (The streetlights are gas; wiring is an unlikely cause of the EMF.)
Piedmont Street is in Boston’s Bay Village, just a few blocks from Boston Common and Boston’s Public Gardens, and not far from several popular theatre district hotels. Find the location at Google Maps.
About a week and a half later, I saw him again. He wore the same hat, but I think he wore a suit instead of the flowing coat. His hat was similar to the one Alec Guinness wore at the end of “Murder By Death,” but not quite so large.
This time, I approached him from the library, close to Colgate Hall. I could see him clearly in the fading afternoon light.
I glanced both ways before crossing the slim drive that separated the library/cafeteria building from the Quad, and stepped onto the grass. When I returned my gaze to Colgate Hall, he was still there. Then the man faded from sight. It was as if I watched him evaporate slowly.
This probably took no more than one or two seconds total, but it was a startling experience.
I shook my head and literally rubbed my eyes.
At other times, before and especially after this, I saw something vanish from the tower at Colgate Hall (in photo below) as well. That happened a few times, but I figured it was just the light or something. And it may have been.
However, this fading man in the hat baffled me. It never crossed my mind that he was a ghost, and despite my doctor’s protests, I demanded glasses a few months later. It’s not that the vanishing man was a major event in my life, but I did worry about my vision. It remained a mystery that faded from my memory just as the ghost did on that autumn day in 1969.
However, collecting ghost information for this website, I found reference to a ghostly man in a hat at Colgate Hall. It was one of those “ah-ha” moments for me, solving a mystery that had remained in the back of my mind these past 30 years.
To learn more about the history of the college, visit their official site. Colby Junior College, now called Colby-Sawyer College, is in New London, NH about half an hour from Dartmouth College. Colby-Sawyer is not affiliated with Colby College in Maine.
Although I am an alumnus of Colby-Sawyer College, my information on this webpage does not represent the college in any way, or its opinions on ghosts and spirits, officially or unofficially.
However, my experiences were real, as reported above. This is not a fictional “ghost story.”
*This story was reported — without admitting that this website was the source — in the “Everything Ghost Hunting Book.”
Ms. Ellis told the story as if she’d interviewed me, when — in fact — the story was simply copied without credit. She never contacted me, before or after the book was published. As far as I know, I’ve never met her in real life, either.
When someone plagiarizes one story, it makes me question how credible their other “ghost stories” are.
However, in this case, the story is true… just not honestly reported in her book.
Recently, I researched additional ghost stories from Colby-Sawyer College, New London, and vicinity. Most of these stories were reported to me by people who actually encountered the ghosts. In other words, these aren’t second-hand tales.
This is not a complete list. If you have stories to add, please leave a comment below this post.
Additional ghosts at Colby-Sawyer College
Austin Hall – Something haunts the third floor at Austin, according to reports. So far, we have no additional details.
Best Hall – Best has at least one and perhaps two ghosts.
One is a young woman. She appears to be older than a student, and dressed in a grey, diaphanous gown, perhaps from the Victorian era. Her sleeves and skirt seem to billow slightly, as if there’s a breeze, even when all of the doors and windows are closed and no air is stirring.
She seems to float through the corridors, and then turn to look at the viewer, smile slightly, and fade until she’s invisible. The entire manifestation takes just a few seconds.
According to one former CSC student, the ghost’s name is Mara or Maura. A second ghost–or perhaps the same one, manifesting differently–creates breezes when no doors or windows are open. Some have reported this as a wind that seems to hum slightly through the hallways.
Burpee Hall – A ghost of a field hockey player roams the halls, especially upstairs. She’s usually seen as just a shadow, and when you take a second look, all you see are her lower legs, but even they fade quickly.
She’s more often heard than seen.
Colby Hall – Colby is reported to have a phantom cat. Sometimes you’ll see it, but often you’ll only hear it meow a few times.
Don’t bother trying to chase it; it will disappear around a corner, or seem to walk right through a wall or closed door. I’ve heard that demonologist John Zaffis confirmed this spectre, but I haven’t checked with him to be certain.
Colgate Hall – In addition to my earlier report, I’ve heard that Governor Anthony Colby is one figure seen gazing over the campus from Colgate’s tower. He has grey hair and a stern look, like a sea captain.1 He’s usually translucent, and a very faint image, and then he vanishes.
McKean Hall – There are stories about the ghost of Gilbert Ross, supposedly an 18th-century witch who was burned at the stake on the land where McKean is now.
Gilbert Ross is rumored to look similar to Snape, as played by Alan Rickman, in the Harry Potter movies. He’s pale and dressed in black, and you’ll see him out of the corner of your eye, or reflected in a window pane.
Like most ghosts, when you turn to look straight at him, he’s gone.
Our research suggests that no witches were burned at the stake in America. Even during the Salem Witch Trials, all of the victims were hung, pressed, or died in prison. Mr. Ross may have been hung on the McKean site, but he probably wasn’t burned at the stake.2
Page Hall – Page has almost always had a reputation for “something” in the basement. It’s not clear what that is. There are also tales of the residual energy of a student from the late 1960s, who used to walk through the second floor corridors, wearing only a loosely-draped noose and a heavy dose of Jean Nate cologne. She wasn’t a suicide, just an eccentric student.
The Quad – This tale is reported about the Quad, as well as the fields in back of Colby-Sawyer College.
According to legend, you can still hear the marching steps of students on foggy mornings, especially very early in the morning.
Around World War I, students practiced daily military drills immediately after breakfast. Some later went to war and didn’t return… except as ghosts.
Sawyer Fine Arts Center – In addition to a typical theater ghost that lingers at the back of the auditorium, a former teacher may haunt the building. He used to tap nervously on the wall or desk when he talked, and the rhythmic sound of his tapping fingers can be heard softly, especially near his old office.
Shepard Hall – Like Page Hall, Shepard has reports of “something” uncomfortable in the basement.
The old Colby Academy building is now the property of New London, New Hampshire, after the college donated it for use as the Town Office Building. However, it was rumored to be haunted by something very dark when it was used as temporary housing for professors who were snowed in at the college, overnight.
When the building was donated to the town, important papers were transferred to the Colby-Sawyer Library. This may be why the college library is haunted. Stories include the spirit of a boy in a loft area, and a ghost that rearranges history books overnight. (Yes, just the history books. It’s a unique and quirky story.)
New London, NH has many ghosts. If you visit the town on a foggy night, or see it on a stark winter afternoon, you’ll have no doubt that it’s very haunted.
New London is best known for Colby-Sawyer College, in the middle of town. It has a long history and a connection to many famous people.
The following additional New London area ghosts are worth investigating.
New London Inn, 353 Main Street, New London, NH
The sparkling white inn is well-known as the home of some charming ghosts.
They include a housekeeper who likes everything “just so,” and sometimes makes certain that everyone is tucked in at night.
A more congenial ghost has been seen sitting by the fireplace. He’s rather inebriated and wears a Revolutionary War uniform that no longer fits him.
If you see him at all, he’ll raise his tankard of ale in a brief toast to you. Then, he vanishes.
People hear him–sometimes the sound of someone chugging a beverage–or they see just the glitter of his uniform buttons. (The buttons are usually seen out of the corner of your eye, or as a momentary flicker of reflected lights.)
New London Barn Playhouse, 84 Main Street, New London, NH [Official website]
Since 1933, this New London playhouse has built a solid reputation for quality performances. Its red building has become a landmark, and a favorite destination for fans of great plays and musicals.
It’s also famous for at least one ghost, who whispers something like, “You did great!” near actors as they leave the stage, regardless of the merits of their performances.
According to one story, he’s a former stagehand — perhaps a props manager — who always wanted to be an actor, but never had the courage to step in front of the lights. So, he tries to feel as if he’s part of the cast even now, many years after he passed on. But, even today, this timid ghost is heard but not seen.
The second ghost is the figure of a woman in a dark red dress, in a style from around the 1940s. She’s seen, sometimes in silhouette but always in the shadows, at the back of the hall during rehearsals.
Sometimes, actors think they see her in the audience, but when the take a second look, no one is there. She is a smoker, so cigarette smoke may linger even after she vanishes.
If you’re there for a performance, look for her outline near the main door–just inside the playhouse or outside–when the audience is leaving.
The ghost of a cleaning woman has haunted the building where WNTK was located in 2002. She was already a legend in the 1960s, and her clothing suggests that she’s from the Depression era.
At night, if you’re facing the building from the street, you may see her in a tired-looking floral dress and a full-bib apron that’s either muted orange or sky blue. She may be carrying a bucket and broom or mop, or just a cleaning cloth.
She’s an actual ghost — not residual energy — and will react to anyone who gets close to her before she disappears. Generally, her temperament seems to be rather sour.
Old Center Cemetery in Andover, NH is about 25 miles from New London, where Colby-Sawyer College is known for its fine education…. and its ghosts.
However, Old Center Cemetery features some far darker tales, including some very active ghosts.
The waving woman
One of the most-reported tales is about a woman with long hair. She wears a long, full gown which seems to billow even when there is no wind.If you stop for a closer look, she’ll beckon you to join her in the cemetery. Sometimes she waves with just her right arm, and sometimes it’s a broader, more ghostly gesture with both arms.She’s at the far left corner of the cemetery (if you’re looking from the street) and only appears if you’re outside the cemetery walls.She appears only at night, and is seen as a flickering outline. She’s not easy to see, with so many trees around her. If you try to enter the cemetery (not recommended after dusk), she vanishes.
A second story involves a young man buried outside the cemetery walls.
Ben Hargrove
In colonial times, Ben Hargrove made a pact with the Devil, or so his neighbors said. Things came “too easy” to him, and while people wanted to like him, there was something about him that made them nervous.
One night, a neighbor thought that he saw flames coming from Ben’s home. On closer inspection, the house wasn’t on fire, but a vivid red-orange light seemed to emanate from every window of the house. Peering through a window, the neighbor saw Ben signing a document while the Devil watched.
Soon after this, Ben dressed in his best clothes and went to Boston to indulge in some backroom gambling. He returned within days, badly shaken and dangerously ill.
One night about a week later, Ben appeared just as a town meeting was breaking up. He approached neighbor after neighbor, asking to take refuge in their homes.One after another, they refused. There was something especially odd about Ben Hargrove that night, and it chilled them.
Suddenly, Ben looked up, just over the heads of his neighbors, with a look of unspeakable horror on his face.
Ben turned on his heel and ran towards the church. But, as soon as he passed the gate and stepped onto the church’s property, he let out a terrible wail… and vanished.
Some say that he turned instantly to ashes and that’s what they buried. Others say that his body was found in his home the next morning, but it was cold and rigid as if he’d been dead for several days.
But, whatever was left of Ben Hargrove, he was buried outside the cemetery walls in an unmarked grave.
His ghost appears regularly outside Old Center Cemetery, usually near the road. Sometimes he tries to flag down passing cars, but usually he simply cowers and quickly disappears.
Most local residents insist that these kinds of stories are nonsense. And, they’re probably right.
Even if the tales are entirely made-up, we can recommend only daytime visits to this eerie cemetery in rural New Hampshire.
Tread carefully in Old Center Cemetery
From the road, Old Center Cemetery seems a well-kept graveyard. It is bordered by a classic New England stone wall. The cemetery welcomes you with a pristine white gated entrance, just like many other wonderful New Hampshire cemeteries.
Tilted stones and graves where no grass grows.
However, once you’re inside the cemetery walls, you’ll see a very different scene.
Much of the cemetery’s soil is very fine sand. It’s soft enough that more than half the gravestones seem to tilt in various directions.
Even more disturbing, when you walk through the cemetery, your feet may sink into the graves. Don’t wear heels, and open sandals may fill with sand. If you sink more than an inch or two, it’s difficult to extract yourself from the grip of this graveyard.
Why does grass refuse to grow here?
The most surreal scenes in this strange cemetery are the graves that are very old, but look recently dug. The photo at right shows one of them.
The sandy soil probably doesn’t have the nutrients to support grass or groundcover. These gravesites look weird, but it’s unlikely that these graves actually harbor vampires.
Nevertheless, this cemetery is one of the creepiest we’ve ever visited, even during the day. We cannot recommend going there after dark. The cemetery is probably posted to prevent after-dusk visitors anyway. We didn’t return there at night.
To visit Andover, NH, take Route 11 east from Route 89 at New London, or travel west from Route 93 at Northfield, passing through Franklin. [Google map]
For other ghost stories of central New Hampshire, see:
Judith Thompson Tyng’s ghost has lingered since the 18th century.
It started when her husband (or the man she thought she’d married) – John Alford Tyng – arranged her murder. He had their children killed, too.
The murderer was Dr. Blood – the same “minister” who’d married John and Judith, years earlier.
John let Dr. Blood into the home. Then John waited in another room as Dr. Blood killed his victims.
As Dr. Blood fled into the night, John took care of burying the bodies beneath the hearth.
Was there a reason for the murders? No one knows. Most people describe John Alford Tyng as a ne’er-do-well, a wastrel, or an outright psychopath.
Dr. Blood left town for a while, and Tyng pretended that his family had gone to visit some relatives near Boston.
That’s when John Alford Tyng’s father, Eleazar, invited his son to return home for a visit. According to some stories, Eleazar wasn’t comfortable in his home. The more guests, the better.
Why? Well, the Mansion was already haunted by the ghost of an Indian whom the Tyngs had cheated of land.
Edward Tyng’s grave.
That tragic history is blamed on Edward Tyng. It’s why his nearby grave might be haunted, even now.
But back in the 18th century, Judith (as a ghost) probably felt perfectly comfortable joining the ghostly party. After all, it meant she could continue to torment her husband.
Soon, Judith Thompson began her murderous revenge.
Judith Thompson Tyng sought vengeance on both John Alford Tyng and Dr. Blood.
Dr. Blood was probably the easiest to kill. And Judith may have liked the idea that Blood’s death would strike terror in John Alford Tyng’s cold, tiny heart.
Here’s the story: One night, Dr. Blood was walking alone on a country road not far from Nashua’s haunted Country Tavern restaurant.
It was just past dusk, and Blood felt uneasy when he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned, no one was there, so he kept walking.
Soon, Blood realized he wasn’t alone. He must have frozen with fear, as – in the morning – there was no sign of a fight.
According to lore, Judith Thompson’s running footsteps and her jubilant laughter were heard as far as a mile away, as she shoved Dr. Blood to the ground.
As Dr. Blood fell face forward, his weight crushed the ceramic flask that he always carried. Of course, the liquor formed a puddle.
When Dr. Blood was found the next morning, he’d choked and drowned in the liquor. Judith’s small footprint was still clearly outlined on the back of Dr. Blood’s head.
When John Alford Tyng heard the news, he knew that he was next.
He immediately moved to a third Tyng mansion. This one was also known as “the Haunted House.” According to a 19th century history, ghosts had been seen there from Colonial through Victorian times.
(This home was probably north of the more famous Tyng Mansion, near Middlesex Road – Route 3A – before it meets Westford Road. You can see it marked as “the Haunted House” on old Dunstable and Tyngsborough maps.)
That’s where Judith Thompson killed him.
The stories are consistent about Tyng’s death. After moving into the third house, Tyng became very ill. His servants took care of him for awhile, until Judith Thompson’s ghost drove them out.
John Alford Tyng’s family tried to visit him, but Judith turned them away at the door, too.
Since they didn’t know Judith was dead, Tyng’s family didn’t realize how serious the problem was.
After that, they turned to an old family friend and neighbor, Captain Joseph Butterfield.
Butterfield’s diary still exists. In it, he described what he witnessed. (As a seasoned soldier who’d fought in several battles, Butterfield’s diary has credibility.)
As a favor to the family, Butterfield called on John Alford Tyng. When Judith answered the door, Butterfield forced his way past her ghost, and rushed upstairs to the dying man’s bedroom.
Butterfield’s notes say that Tyng tried to lift himself from the bed to greet his friend, but – apparently – the effort killed Tyng.
As Captain Butterfield watched in horror, Judith Thompson’s ghost materialized and cursed John Alford Tyng.
The stories vary, but – before vanishing – Judith swore that Tyng’s name would never remain on a headstone and he’d be forgotten in history.
Apparently, her curse worked. His gravestone had to be replaced many times. The town finally gave up, and his current grave marker contains some deliberate errors. I guess that’s good enough for Judith.
READ NEXT: Tyng Mansion Ghosts. Tyng Mansion may be gone, but its ghosts remain.
New London, NH has many ghosts. If you visit the town on a foggy night, or see it on a stark winter afternoon, you’ll have no doubt that it’s very haunted.
For other ghost stories of central New Hampshire, see:
Judith Thompson Tyng’s ghost has lingered since the 18th century.